Women who regularly perform oral sex on their partner may be less likely to suffer from miscarriages, according to new research.

A study by scientists at Leiden University Medical Centre claims that swallowing semen is good for a woman's immune system which could help to protect a foetus during pregnancy.

The researchers looked into the pregnancy history of 234 women and found that 73 per cent of women in the non-miscarriage group regularly performed oral sex, while 57 per cent of those in the recurrent miscarriage group did not.

According to their report, they found that women suffering from recurrent miscarriage, the loss of three or more babies in a row, were found to give their partners less oral sex than those who did not suffer from the condition.

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"Our results suggest an association between less oral sex and the occurrence of recurrent miscarriage."

While the findings are by no means conclusive, the scientists suggest semen contains hormones and proteins from the man's body which are useful for the mother to build up a tolerance to antigens such as human leukocyte antigens (HLA).

The scientists have acknowledged that their sample group is too small, and did not necessarily prove that swallowing semen leads to lower miscarriage rates, but believe the two are linked, and have suggested further study be undertaken in the area.